Trump Hotel Ruled Not in Conflict of Interest for President

Well, there goes one of the Democrats’ ludicrous impeachment hopes: A federal overseer has ruled that Trump has not violated the lease on the Trump International Hotel in Washington just by dint of his holding the presidency, The Associated Press reported.

General Services Administration Contracting Officer Kevin M. Terry informed the Trump Organization via a letter that the hotel is in “full compliance” with federal law.

According to The AP, Trump critics had claimed that since the lease “expressly forbids any federal official from participating or benefiting from the project, a $200 million renovation of historic Old Post Office building a few blocks from the White House,” the president was in violation of the terms.

After Thursday’s ruling, though, Trump critics continued to rail against the GSA’s decision.

“It has never been easier for a foreign government, lobbyist or special-interest group to funnel money directly to the president of the United States and his family,” said Steven Schooner, a George Washington University professor of government procurement law.

The hotel had also been part of a lawsuit filed over the “emoluments clause” of the Constitution, which states that “No Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or Foreign State.” That lawsuit is still pending.

However, because operation of the hotel has been turned over to Trump’s adult children and the president will not profit from it while he is in office (his profits from the venture go into a trust), the GSA ruled there was no conflict of interest.

This is yet another instance where the left has sculpted the Andes out of a molehill. It was one of the billion different ways we’ve already been promised that the Democrats would take the president down. And what’s come of it? Nothing.